NutraSea
FISHLINGERS AND CHIPS
House-proud Brits are turning their backs on fish dinners - because they are too smelly.
A study revealed 50 per cent of us avoid a fishy supper because we can't stand the lingering pong.
Two in five people say they never cook fish, preferring to replace that part of their diet with meat or vegetables.
Four in ten of those polled said they had no idea how to cook fish, while one in four said they simply don't like the taste of it.
The poll of 3,238 people was conducted by the developer of the NutraSea omega-3 brand.
Yesterday Dr Rafe Bundy, who has researched nutritional projects for the British Nutrition Foundation and lectured on the subject at Glasgow University, said: ''The findings support existing research that has found UK consumption of fish, especially oily fish that is rich is omega-3 fatty acids, is low.
''In fact it is about one-third of the minimum amount recommended.
''The research suggests the strong smell and taste of fish are two of the main reasons why people are avoiding eating fish, especially oily fish variants.''
The study also found 15 per cent of Brits can't bear to touch fish and so find it impossible to prepare, while 12 per cent say it is too expensive to buy.
A third of folk claimed to avoid any type of fish with 'suspicious' or 'unusual' sounding names - which means pollock, gurnard and porgy are off the menu.
Twenty three per cent of people said they avoided cooking fish amid food poisoning fears and 34 per cent worried about the taste repeating on them for hours after.
Over half said they had never eaten kippers, one in five hadn't touched tuna and 13 per cent don't even know what cod tastes like.
Similarly, four in 10 people haven't tried crab, 49 per cent won't eat trout, and 37 per cent have never tried mackerel.
And more than half of those polled say they dislike any type of fish which has a strong flavour - such as anchovies, pilchards, mackerel and sardines.
The poll also also revealed the traditional 'Fish and Chip Friday' has taken a big hit in the past 12 months, with 66 per cent of Brits claiming to have given up buying fish takeaways on a Friday.
A third of people say fish and chip takeaways were one of the first things they gave up since the recession was announced, and 34 per cent say they consciously cut back on takeaways to save money.
But of those people who WILL eat fish, Cod comes out on top as the firm favourite for 37 per cent of people.
The second most popular fish is anything battered, whilst 29 per cent are partial to a bit of tinned tuna or prawns.
A quarter of folk might even push the boat out and eat a bit of haddock, whilst one in five people prefer to eat fish fingers or anything covered in bread crumbs.
Dr Rafe Bundy, added: ''Though battered and tinned varieties of fish are the most popular, people should remember that the high calorie content of battered fish may have negative a negative impact on their health, whilst the tinning process can remove much of the omega-3 from tuna.''
